1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a boot liner. More specifically, the present invention relates a sport boot liner or snowboard boot liner with lacing to snugly secure the liner about the wearer""s foot.
2. Background Information
Many cold weather footwear have an internal boot liner that is separate from the outer shell of the footwear. For example, hiking boots, ski boots, snowboard boots and the like often have a boot liner. The boot liner provides thermal insulation, shock absorption, comfort, etc. for the wearer""s foot and/or the lower part of the wearer""s leg. The boot liner is typically formed with a sole and an upper portion. The upper portion is often formed with a central opening or slit. Some times a tongue is formed on a lower end of the opening or slit, the tongue extending between the sides of the central opening or slit.
It is important to keep the liner in contact with the wearer""s foot. Thus, the boot liner is sometimes provided with a tightening device. The tightening device is typically positioned on the sides of the central slit and usually includes loops or eyelets with a lace extending through the loops or eyelets. The lace typically extends through the loops or eyelets in a crisscross manner, e.g., going from side to side through the loops and eyelets. Typically the eyelets or loops are formed on opposite sides of the opening in equal numbers at equally spaced apart intervals, defining pairs of eyelets or loops. Boot liners are formed of a variety of materials such as woven fabrics, sponge like materials or rubber, or various combinations of these materials. Some boot liners are provided with a tightening device that can tighten the boot liner around wearer""s foot.
One example of a boot liner with a tightening device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,542, assigned to Solomon S. A. This patent discloses a tightening device for a boot liner that uses a single cord and a plurality of straps to tighten the boot liner about the wearer""s foot. These tightening device of this patent does not provide any means to exert a higher tightening force on the straps adjacent the ankle of the wearer to bring flaps of the upper closer to one another and to tighten the liner on the foot.
When tightening the boot liner, the lower portions of the lace must typically be pulled tight near eyelets or loops separately from the tightening of the ends of the lace. Often a boot user must pull portions of the lace near a second or third set of eyelets tight and then successively move up the pairs of eyelets, grab the corresponding portions of the lace and tighten it further until the top or ends of the lace are finally tightened. Such an operation can be difficult, since the criss-cross configuration of the lace and friction make it very difficult to tighten the lace easily.
In view of the above, there exists a need for snowboard boot liner which overcomes the above mentioned problems in the prior art. This invention addresses this need in the prior art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.
One object of the present invention is to provide an article of footwear with a lace configuration, which is easier to tighten.
Another object of the present invention is to provide boot liner, which is securely tighten about the wears ankle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide snowboard boot liner, which uses a conventional criss-cross lacing pattern.
The foregoing objects can basically be attained by providing a snowboard boot liner comprising a sole portion, an upper portion and a tightening device. The upper portion has a foot section fixedly coupled to the sole portion and a leg section extending upwardly from the foot section, with a longitudinal slit formed along the leg section. The tongue portion coupled to the upper portion and arranged to span the slit formed in the leg section. The tightening device is coupled to the upper portion for drawing opposite lateral sides of the upper portion that define the slit towards one another. The tightening device includes a plurality of primary lacing portions formed on the upper portion, a power strap with a secondary lacing portion coupled to the upper portion and lacing extending in a crossing pattern across the slit and between the primary lacing portions and the secondary lacing portion of the power strap. The power strap has a first end fixed on a first side of the opposite lateral sides and a second end with the secondary lacing portion slideably coupled on a second side of the opposite lateral sides.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the present invention.